Man charged in Uwchlan bank robbery

PHILADELPHIA — A Boyertown man faces a federal trial for allegedly robbing a Chester County bank of almost $28,000 last July.

Marcus Akiem Ricketts, 35, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Thursday for the July 2, 2012, armed robbery of the M&T Bank at 760 N. Pottstown Pike, Uwchlan. Ricketts allegedly took $27,906 in the heist.

He is charged with armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime and faces at least seven years in prison, five years of probation, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment if convicted of the charges at trial.

The indictment alleges that Ricketts brandished a Beretta Px4 .40-caliber gun during the robbery.

Ricketts allegedly walked into the Uwchlan bank wearing a ski mask, gloves, sunglasses and a hat around 10:30 a.m. He allegedly approached a teller, displayed a handgun and demanded cash before fleeing toward Windsor Circle. A witness tipped police off to Ricketts’ path of escape and he was stopped while trying to drive away from Windsor Circle, police said. The ski mask, gloves, sunglasses and hat were allegedly found in Ricketts’ car.

Ricketts was required under the indictment filed Thursday to turn the Beretta over to authorities along with any ammunition in his possession.

It is the second bank robbery Ricketts has been charged with committing. In August, he was charged by Lower Merion Police with the Aug. 9, 2011, robbery of the Wells Fargo bank in the 400 block of Lancaster Avenue. Ricketts also allegedly displayed a handgun in the Montgomery County incident, according to reports in the Mercury in Pottstown.

He faces charges of robbery, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, simple assault and related charges in Montgomery County for that bank robbery, and charges of robbery, firearms not to be carried without a license, possessing an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, simple assault, receiving stolen property and related offenses in Chester County Court for the Uwchlan robbery, according to court documents.

His next court date is Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. before Judge Anthony A. Sarcione in Chester County Court.

Ricketts is being held in Chester County Prison.

The federal case against him is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery W. Whitt. A trial date for the federal charges has not been announced.